Request: Technique books/resource suggestions for a long-time guitar slob

[Supergrover1981]

Hi Guys,

 

I've been tinkering casually on guitar for a few hours a week for about 8 years now, and I've come to a point where I'd really like to get more disciplined about my learning.

 

I've only really ever taught myself in a "that sounds cool - I'll learn how to play it" kind of way, but I'd really like to improve my fingerpicking & rhythm style. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for technique building books/software/anything that could help me polish my sound & technique.

 

My biggest problem is that I have a pretty murky and inconsistent sound. I don't want to be lightning fast (I've never been too interested in lead guitar), but I'd love to improve my sound and make it more consistent - less hitting wrong strings w/right hand, less accidentally deadening other strings when stretching for difficult chords, etc. I've got 12 years of (disciplined) saxophone under my bonnet so music theory is reasonably well polished - technique is what I need most.

 

If anyone has any suggestions for where to start, I'd be most appreciative.

 

Cheers gang,

- JB

[Dr. Ellwood]

JB, welcome to the Forum! I think you are going to find some excellent advice and help here. OK, do you read standard notation FOR GUITAR? or on guitar? have you transferred your sight reading from sax over the the guitar neck? if you have, I can sure send you some really great PDF files for you to get started on! Let me know, and also you have your email address blocked, which is fine so I will send you mine and you can send me your address and I will return the info that way.... LEE

[A String]

I'd look into taking lessons. There are books out there (And the guys here who are familiar with them will post the names I'm sure), but you can't beat, "hands on" learning.

 

When you are practising at home, use a metronome.

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Oh, a great program for guitar solos is actually created by one of our forum members "Under The Groove".

 

The software is called "Jam Tracks" and I highly recommend it.

 

Here is a link to the website

[Hardtail]

First off, welcome.

 

Ok, if you want to improve your technique, first off, get a metronome like A String said.

 

I got one for you right here:

http://www.metronomeonline.com/

 

Secondly, instead of practicing a few hours a week, try to work in at least an hour each day. Like me, you're probably a working guy who can only spend so much time playing guitar.

 

In this case, I find that an hour each day is much better for me than trying to make it all up 1 or 2 days a week.

 

Start out by practicing some scale patterns. Start slowly, with the metronome, play clean and precise... then speed up the metronome.

 

During this time, work on your string muting. I have no set way on how I do it. My basic rule is... whatever you can use to mute your strings given your situation... use.

 

Again, welcome.

[Supergrover1981]

*thwwoaarr!* VERY helpful friendly forum - woohoo! Yee-haw! Bleat!

 

Ellwood:

 

Lotsa thanks for the offer of .PDFs, would love them! I've just unhidden my email address - you should be able to send them through & I would really appreciate it.

 

To answer your question, my sight reading on guitar is fairly rusty. I've never really taken the time to associate notes with frets, but I can read simpler stuff at a slow pace just by figuring it out in my head chromatically. I also struggle with notated chords - I'm used to only having to read one note at a time on a sax.

 

A String: Yeah, I'd DEFINTELY like lessons - unfortunately I'm stuck out in a pretty small town for the next four months and the only guy with enough chops to teach me is a little more into smoking weed than learning (or teaching) technique. ...Great guy and I love to Jam with him, but he's kinda a member of the "brute force" school of guitar playing - play all day and use technique books as roaches. Will definitely check out "Under the Groove" - lotsa thanks. D:

 

Hardtail: Aahhh - interesting. 1 hour in a sitting could be a little difficult, but 4x15 minutes sessions if very doable. Anyone have any opinions on whether 4x 15-minute sessions are as effective as 1x1hour sesssions???

 

CHeers gang - really most appreciative. This board seems awesome, will be seeing a lot more of 'yall I'm sure.

 

- JB

[Hardtail]

Originally posted by Supergrover1981:

Hardtail: Aahhh - interesting. 1 hour in a sitting could be a little difficult, but 4x15 minutes sessions if very doable. Anyone have any opinions on whether 4x 15-minute sessions are as effective as 1x1hour sesssions???

 

- JB

Yes, that's fine. It really doesn't have to be an hour. The key point I'm trying to make is to get your hands on the axe virtually everyday and work something out.

[Dr. Ellwood]

OK JB..check your email! that should keep ya busy for awhile..good luck!

[A String]

Four, 15 minute sets, is perfect.

 

I used to have my students practise in short, 10 minute sessions, as many times in the day as they could squeeze in.

 

They say that, after a certain amount of time passes, you are no longer learning. Best to do lots of little sessions so that more of the info you put in, stays in.

[Supergrover1981]

*grin* Brilliant - Lee, thanks lots lots lots - got the emails and will dutifully bury my head into them first thing tomorrow. D:

 

4x15 minute sets I can do - while I'm being pesky and asking stuff, I'd love to ask one last question if possible:

 

Any suggestions for a practice routine? Whenever I decide I want to brush up on my guitar skills, I always find myself playing the scales I know for a little while, then hashing over the songs I know and perhaps working on one I don't...then staring aloof at the ceiling and wondering what to do. (Before playing yet more songs that I already know)

 

If someone could suggest a brief practice schedule (eg. 10 mins warm-up drills, 10 mins scales, 10 mins finger-strength exercises...) I'd have an even more embarrasingly large heap of gratitude than the already embarrasing heap I have now.

 

Cheers guys & thanks again,

- JB

[Justus A. Picker]

For getting your right hand working for fingerpicking the best workout is still Guiliani's 120 Exercises For The Right Hand. It put you through just about every possible p,i,m,a permutation while keeping the left hand simple.

120 Exercises For The Right Hand PDF

[Fumblyfingers]

Welcome JB. I will see what I can dig up when I have a minute. Lot's of really helpful folks here, with really cool attitudes. A good place to come.

[Phillydor]

One thing to remember - there are so many different styles of fingerpicking, approaches to rhythm etc. Which is why I've always valued guitar magazines like GP (and others), you get a taste of just about everything and can find out what it is that you're really aiming at.

Always keep your eye out for old second hand ones; they're good value when you consider how much a single book on technique or DVD can cost you. I've got a big pile of all kinds of guitar mags,that go back to the seventies, and am always delving into them, finding new things to learn. Some of them I've ignored for years and I'm just astonished at what I find.

I agree with Justus re: classical; it's not for everyone but it's worth having a go at. Also worth looking into: Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel, very different technique to classical, but it's good to aquaint yourself with both styles and compare them.

[did]

Get Eric Johnson fine art of guitar on DVD,very good

[Hardtail]

Originally posted by A String:

The software is called "Jam Tracks" and I highly recommend it.

 

Here is a link to the website

YES! This is a most excellent tool to have. It's worth the money.

[Phillydor]

Another way to improve a lot is NOT to restrict yourself to short little bursts of practise. Play a lot, all night if need be. I'm not saying do this every day of your life, but I can't imagine not going through these woodshedding periods. Funnily enough these extended practise sessions usually coincide with something going wrong in my life.

A recent relationship breakup has a lot to do with why I'm up all night playing lately. Oh and I have spent a lot of the last year recovering from injury, plenty of time to play. But when I think about it, I've always needed some disaster or other to push me into playing.Sometimes it was just needing to make a buck - necessity is the mother of invention.

Either that or I'm just obsessive compulsive - maybe it's all of the above.

[Justus A. Picker]

Originally posted by Philemec:

I agree with Justus re: classical; it's not for everyone but it's worth having a go at. Also worth looking into: Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel, very different technique to classical, but it's good to aquaint yourself with both styles and compare them.

True, but the Guiliani execises will work whether you want to play Bach, Bensusan, Hedges, Chet or Merle. They're just a good workout for devoloping finger independence and coordination in the right hand.

[Phillydor]

Yes - the main difference is whether or not you arch your hand like a classical player or not. I have been playing so much Merle style, thumb and two fingers (though I think he just used thumb and index?) with the right hand flat and supported, not arched, that I'd started having problems playing my classical stuff. So I'm spending time on classical technique for a while, I've neglected it for too long.

[Justus A. Picker]

Yeah, but Bresh uses all three fingers, right? I have a hell of a time getting the right hand position to get a nice damped thump on bass strings while allowing the trebles to ring clearly. I just don't feel comfortable in an "anchored" position.

[MILLO]

Here are a few things:

 

~Exercises from the Matteo Carcassi guitar method (possibly Mel Bay edition), especially those involving single-note and harmonized scales. Also try some of his 25 etudes.

 

~Videos? Scott Tennant and Bill Kanengiser have excellent purely technical videos.

 

~Try Scott Tennant's technique manual "Pumping Nylon". PURE fingerstyle technique.

 

~Leo Brouwer's "Simple Etudes"

 

~"Rock Discipline" is a book that works for anyone who wants to develop technique playing the eletric--with a pick. This is so regardless you like rock or not. Merely technical, not very inspiring in an 'aesthetic' level.

 

~For improvisation there are many good books. A good way to get started? Not sure... the "Frank Gambale Technique Book" has its pros and cons, but I find it helpful, full of tips. I'm sure there are better methods out there.

 

~I've heard people practicing from technique books for "classical" saxophone that have these incredibly awesome sounding licks, exercises and sequences. Maybe you have some of those at home. Dig'em out and read away.

 

I just ordered the Hot Licks Eric Johnson DVD's--somepeople recommended it especially for right hand technique on the electric. Have not received them yet.

[MILLO]

Check out the picking articles on this webiste, this is the first in a series : http://www.ibreathemusic.com/article/43

 

...I discovered these on Monday on another forum. It's stuff I do... well, used to do, and has certainly paid off. Now I need to do these again, as I have stopped 'practicing' for a few months now.

 

Anyhow, you can apply these to fingerpicking by merely changing picking directions w/ Right-Hand finger alternation. For example, instead of "down", use "i" and instead of "up", use "m".

 

Not interested in speed? Don't try playing them fast. Still, the technique should be the same. You will benefit from doing exercises like these, believe me.

[MILLO]

If you can find this DVD, I suggest you get it. Explains the basic mechanics of fingerstyle guitar-playing. Good for ANY level, not exaggerating.

 

http://www.musicroom.com/en-US/se/ID_No/0334606/details.html

[Supergrover1981]

(standing ovation)

(rapturous applause)

(throws underpants)

 

Thanks to all - this forum is freakin supoyb.

 

Thanks heaps guys - I think I've got enough stuff to last me well into the realms of heroin-shooting, groupie-debauching guitar superstardom. I just took a stab at the Giuliani exercises and they're really very helpful - they seem to force out a few bad habits. It's amazing (and kinda embarrassing) how difficult 'easy-but-awkward' fingerings can be. *grin* I always avoided those 'looks-real-easy-but-why-the-hell-can't-I-play-it?" kinda stuff, but I guess in the end that's the stuff that proves most useful, eh?

 

Cheers again to all,

- JB